Housing Trends Newsletter – June 2015

National Market Update

Existing-Home Sales Bounce Back Strongly in May as First-time Buyers Return

WASHINGTON (June 22, 2015) — Fueled partly by an increase in the share of sales to first-time buyers, existing-home sales increased in May to their highest pace in nearly six years, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Led by the Northeast, all major regions experienced sales increases in May.Read more

Midyear Report: The Housing Market Is on Track for Its Best Year Since 2006 (and It Ain’t a Bubble)

As we approach the midpoint of 2015, the residential real estate market is on track for its best year since 2006, the peak of the housing bubble. (This time, though, it’s no bubble.)Read more

National housing indicators

Existing home sales (June) 5.35 millions units*

Existing home median price (June) $228,700

Housing Starts (June) 10.36 millions units*

New home sales (June) 5.17 millions units*

National economic indicators

Home ownership

The homeownership rate in the first quarter 2015 was 63.7 percent, down 1.1 (+/- 0.4) percentage points from the first quarter 2014 rate of 64.8 percent. The homeownership rates in the Northeast, South and West were lower than the rates in the first quarter 2014, while the rate in the Midwest was not statistically different from the rate a year ago.

New home sales

Sales of new single-family houses in May 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 546,000. This is 2.2 percent (+/- 16.7%)* above the revised April 2015 estimate of 534,000.

Source: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Regional market updates

View market statistics for your region.

Click on the links below to view data from two different industry sources. Choose information on local prices & state sales from any of 150 metropolitan housing markets prepared by the National Association of REALTORS® or information on sales & price activity from local area markets in 25 states prepared by Clarus MarketMetrics.